Frequently Asked Questions

Kittens are seldom abandoned by their mother, but it does happen. The mother cat may be away to find food or she may be busy moving the kittens to a safer location. Firstly you need to asses the situation. If the kittens are in immediate danger then action should be taken immediately. Find a box and a clean old towel and place kittens in the box. If possible to do so, safely relocate the kittens to an area that is not too far from the original area so the mother can still find them. If the kittens are still very small and seems lethargic, dehydrated, cold or hungry immediate action needs to be taken. If you are not sure what to do please refer to our guide (maybe we can insert a link here? I can send you the info that is needed) Never feed a cold kitten, it can cause their death. Always make sure that the kitten’s body temperature is normal before attempting to feed it. Always monitor the situation to see if the mother cat returns, never leave kittens in direct sun or in the freezing cold while monitoring, If the mother does not show up after 2-4 hours (very small babies require feeding every two hours) then immediate action should be taken. If you are not equipped to handle the situation reach out to your nearest vet and ask who you can contact. Most vets will know the rescue organizations in the area. Vets are not equipped to deal with bottle feeding kittens so please do not drop them at your vet if they are very small. Keep an eye out for the mother cat and ensure that she gets sterilized to prevent future litters.

Under NO circumstances should you feed a kitten cow’s milk or any other milk except for the milk that can be bought specifically for kittens at your nearest vet or vet store. Cows milk is extremally rich and will cause severe diarrhea and dehydration which will cause their death, even if diluted. Please see emergency kitten formula recipe here. This mixture is safe to use in case of extreme emergencies until you can get to a vet or vet store for the proper formula. Mix together 1 can of evaporated milk with 1 egg yolk ( NOT THE WHITE) and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix together very well and store in a airtight container in the fridge. When needed combine half of the mixture with cool, thoroughly boiled water and syringe feed kittens by holding them as flat on their stomachs as possible. Never force large amounts of milk into their mouths as the may inhale it into their lungs. Make sure that you “burp”the kitten afterwards but holding the kitten upright and close to your chest while gently tapping with two fingers on their backs.

TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Return. Cats are humanely trapped and taken to a qualified vet that will anaesthetize and then and spay or neuter the feral kitty. A general health check will also be performed. The tip of the ear will also be removed under anesthesia to show that a kitty is sterilized and is part of a cared for feral cat colony.

TNR is very important in controlling the feral cat population. Cats are trapped in a safe, humane trap and sterilised by a qualified veterinarian. The veterinarian uses a special dissolvable stitch on the females ( males do not get stitches) and administers a long acting antibiotic as well as pain medication. The cats stay overnight at the trappers home and is released back to their own colony the next day. Sterilised feral cats the world over gets their ear tipped. The tip of the ear is removed or a notch is made. This indicates to other feral carers that the cats are already sterilized and part of a cared for colony.

The cost of TNR differs from one veterinarian to the next. In 2022 the cost ranges anything between R450 to R550 per cat.

There are various areas where volunteers are always needed.
A. Foster
B. Trapping
C. Fundraising
D. Transporting of feral cats to and from trapping sites to the vet, collecting at vet and dropping off/releasing again.
E. Collecting of kittens in danger and dropping at vet/foster homes.
Please send a message to us on our Facebook page or send an email to kemptonferals@gmail.com with the Subject “Volunteer”

No, we are not cat breeders. All the kittens in our care was born from feral female cats that have not been sterilized in time. This is why TNR is vitally important.

TNR helps with the management of the feral street cat population and reduces the likelihood for kittens being born in unsafe and unsuitable environments.

Although all of us do this free of charge in our spare time, we still need to pay the private veterinarians we use and buy food for the feral kitties and the foster cats and kittens in our care. The reality is that contrary to the belief we do not receive corporate donations, help from the government, our local municipality or monthly donations of free food from manufacturers . The rate we charge for feral cat sterilization and vaccination is the exact amount that is charged by the veterinarians. The adoption fee we charge only covers the cost of the sterilization at 4 months, vaccination, deworming and microchipping. We DO NOT get any of this for free

The adoption fee we charge covers the cost of the sterilization at 4 months, vaccination, deworming and microchipping. If done in your private capacity at your own vet, the cost of this can range between R2000 and R2500